Tie-plate.



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APPLIOAT ILED DBO. 27, 1910. 1 .026, 1 4 Patented May 14, 1912.

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mum: P21 1 1 f I JQF. O'CONNOR.

TIE PLATE.

APPLIOATION rum) mm. 27. 1910.

1,026,114. I Patented May '14, 1912.

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human s'rarns PATENT OFFICE JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CLIFTON W. SHERMAN, 0F

BUFFALO, NEW YORK. e

TIE-PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN F. OCoNNon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Tmprovements in Tie-Plates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined tie plate and anti-creeper for railway rails and has the object to produce a device of this character which provides a firm support on the tie for the rail and still provides free drainage of water from underneath the rail to prevent rusting; also permits of securely interlocking the plate with the tie by means of anchoring ribs 011 the underside of the body of the plate without causing the latter to turn up at its edges; and to provide simple and efiicient means whereby the rail is positively interlocked with the tie plate and the tie and thereby efiectually prevents creeping of the rail relatively to the tie.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 2 sheets: Figure 1 is a side view of my improved tie plate and anti-creeper and the adjacent parts of the rail and tie to which the same is applied in section. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the tie plate and anticreeper and the locking pin in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof in line 33, Fig. 6. Fig. 4 is a detached side elevation of the tie plate. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the tie plate. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section in line 66, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a side view of a locking pin differing from that shown in Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The body A of my improved tie plate and anti creeper is generally of rectangular form and interposed between the upper side of the wooden tie B and the under side of the base or flange 0 of the railway rail. The body of the tie plate rests with its underside evenly or uniformly on the top of the tie while the upper side of said body is pro.

vided with a plurality of longitudinal horizontal supporting faces Z upon which the underside of the rail base rests and a plurality of longitudinal grooves or sloping parts d alternating with the supporting faces and having inclined bottoms. The grooves catch any water which may get on the top of the body of the tie plate and drain the same from underneath the rail to the end of the tie plate body, thereby preventing capillary attraction from holding the water between the body of the tie plate and the rail and avoiding undue rusting of the rail which otherwise would occur.

Heretofore the body of the tie plate has been held against lateral movement on the tie by means of a plurality of anchoring ribs of uniform height which were arranged on the underside of the body and which were embedded in the tie. In this construction of tie plate the body when pressed or driven down upon the tie would turn up at the edges inasmuch as these parts of the body are less capable of resisting the driving strains than the central partof the body. To overcome this the anchoring ribs 6 underneath the central part of this improved tie plate body are made comparatively high While the anchoring ribs 6 on the underside of the body at the margin or edge portion thereof are comparatively low. Upon driving a tie plate body thus constructed down upon the tie the several anchoring ribs thereof will enter the tie uniformly this be ing possible inasmuch as the central unyielding or firm part of the plate body carries the high ribs 6 while the marginal or less firm part of the body carries the low ribs 6 By this means all the ribs are driven fully into the tie, thereby avoiding turning up of the edges of the body and insuring an even support for the rail. These anchoring ribs are preferably V-shaped in cross section and form two rectangular borders, as shown in the drawings but any other form and arrangementof the ribs may be employed if desired.

The body of the tie plate, rail and tie may be secured together by any suitable means but preferably by means of a single spike j which is driven through a hole or opening 9 at one end of the body and into the tie so that its head engages one side of the rail base and a pair of spikes F, f driven through two holes or openings 9 g at the other end of the body and into the tie so that their heads engage with the opposite side of the rail base.

The upper side of the body of the tie plate is provided on opposite sides of the rail with shoulders h, k which are adapted to engage with opposite sides of the rail base and confine the rail in the proper position on the body of the tie plate.

For the purpose of positively interlocking the rail with the tie plate and tie and thus preventing the rail from creeping lengthwise when acted on by the load running over the same the following means are provided: 2' represents-a vertical die opening arranged in the body of the tie plate preferably between the spike openings 9 9 thereof. j represents a guide rising from the tie plate body adjacent to the outer side of the die opening 2' and adapted to overhang the adjacent part of the rail base and provided with a vertical guide opening J. The die opening and guide opening are preferably of cylindrical form and so arranged that the same intersect the adjacent edge portion of the rail base when the same rests on the tie plate, the axes of these openings being preferably in line with the adjacent edge of the rail base. K represents a looking and punching pin whereby the rail, tie and tie plate are interlocked. This pin is preferably of cylindrical form so as to fit the guide and die openings and is adapted to be driven downwardly through these openings past the rail base and into the tie. While being thus driven the locking pin is guided by the opening j and its lower or front end operates as a cutter, drift or punch in connection with the die opening 2' whereby that part of the metal on the adjacent edge portion of the rail base which projects across the openings 2', j and into the path of the locking pin is displaced or removed and this pin intersects the rail base in the manner of a key. By this means a notch Z is formed in the rail base which receives the locking pin whereby the rail base, tie plate and tie are positively interlocked and movement of these parts relatively to each other in the direction of the length of the rail is prevented.

For the purpose of facilitating the punching action of the locking pin the same is made of suitable material such as machine steel and its lower or front end is hardened and beveled, as shown at m in Fig. 3. Upon placing this pin in the opening of the guide with its bevel facing toward the rail base the pin by engaging its bevel with the rail base will be held in an upright posit-ion by the guide without requiring the hand of the operator for this purpose, thereby leaving both hands of the operator free to drive the pin. This also serves as an indicator that the pin has been properly placed in the guide to punch the notch Z in the rail base inasmuch as the pin in any other position will not remain standing alone in the guide opening. Upon driving the pin the beveled lower end thereof operates with a shearing action against the edge portion of the rail base and cuts or displaces a semi-cylindrical part therefrom forming the seat or notch of corresponding form in which the upper or rear part of the pin remains for interlocking the parts in the manner described. The notch Z thus formed by the punch pin being of semi-circular form no sharp corners are left which would be liable to start a crank or fracture in the rail which liability is further reduced by reason of the bore of said notch becoming swaged, polished, smoothed or burnished as the pin is driven past the same. It is preferable to employ a locking pin which is headless, as shown in Fig. 3, inasmuch as this permits of driving the pin fully into the tie and enables the rail to be removed without withdrawing the pin from the tie. If desired, however, the locking pin may be provided with a head 12,, as shown in F ig. 7. While thus driving the locking pin and forming the interlocking notch in the rail base, the rail is held against lateral movement in the opposite direction by the shoulders h. The punch pin being of uniform diameter tends, when driven, to wedge or crowd the rail base tightly against the shoulder h on the opposite side of the tie plate, thereby tightly pressing the outer side of the punch pin against the outer side of the opening in the guide 7'. In the connected or fastened condition of the parts the other shoulders perform no function the same belng only useful in assembling the parts.

Although these anti-creeping tie plates may be employed in varying numbers and at different places on the rail it is usually found satisfactory to apply the same only near the end portions of the rails. Inasmuch as this anti-creeping tie plate can be applied to any part of the rail and without involving the use of special tools or skilled labor it is possible to facilitate the installation of a railway and a reduction in cost accordingly. Owing to the simplicity of construction of this anti-creeping tie plate the cost of the same is but slightly greater than ordinary tie plates. In this anti-creeping tie plate the holding of the rail is not dependent on a cramping cam or grip action which becomes inoperative or is destroyed by slight wear but presents at all times a shear ing resistance to the longitudinal movement of the rail. In manufacturing these anticreeping tie plates it is not necessary to fit a plurality of parts together or exercise special care, or require accuracy in details, as is the case in devices of this character heretofore in use. Furthermore, one pattern answers both for an ordinary tie plate and an anti-creeping tie plate which reduces the quantity of material usually necessary to carry in stock and also avoids the necessity of determining beforehand the exact number of the particular kind of tie plate required when making up orders for material for stock or for any proposed extension of a railway.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tie plate and anti-creeper adapted to support and fasten a railway rail on a tie, comprising a body adapted to be placed between the tie and rail and provided on one side with a shoulder which is adapted to engage with one side of a rail base and provided on its opposite side with a guide which is adapted to overhang the opposite side of a rail base, and a pin adapted to be driven through said guide and into the tie and into engagement with the adjacent edge of the rail base.

2. A tie plate and anti-creeper adapted to support and fasten a railway rail on a tie comprising a body adapted to be placed between the tie and rail and provided on one side with a shoulder which is adapted to engage with one side of the rail base and provided on its opposite side with a guide which is adapted to overhang the opposite side of the rail base, and a punch pin adapted to be driven through said guide so as to dis place a part of the adjacent edge of the rail base and become interlocked therewith.

3. A tie plate and anti-creeper adapted to support and fasten a railway rail on a tie comprising a body adapted to be placed between the tie and rail and provided on one side with a shoulder which is adapted to engage with one side of the rail base and provided on its opposite side with a guide which is adapted to overhang the opposite side of the rail base, and a punch pin adapted to be driven through said guide so as to displace a part of the adjacent edge of the rail base and become interlocked therewith and to enter said tie.

lVitness my hand this 30th day of November, 1910.

JOHN F. OCONN OR. Witnesses:

B. V. PAPwoRTH, A. F. CHATMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

